Proctosedyl “Itchy Bottom”

The Itchy Bottom campaign was risky right from the start. The nature of the product meant the advertising had the potential to offend many people.

Advertising Effectiveness Winner:

Proctosedyl 'Itchy Bottom'

Agency: CWFS McCann

The Judges said:

This campaign is a classic. It's bold, classy and effective and a little bit cheeky. The creative has deservedly won international recognition.

Conversations about piles usually deteriorate into embarrassed sniggers which can make promoting an antihaemorrhoid product rather difficult. For pharmaceutical company Hoechst Marion Roussel, maker of the haemorrhoid treatment Proctosedyl, the embarrassment factor was just one of the many marketing hurdles to overcome.

Although Proctosedyl was the market leader, the market itself had suffered a decline (1996 was down 4% on 1995), and prescription sales,...

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